Hey everybody, i did my nail course three years ago..alot has happened since then (married and baby) so im only starting back up now.

My course was in Star Nails GF21 gel system. For people that dont know, this gel goes on in one bead onto the stress area and is 'feathered' to the cuticle area and down to the tip.

Im writing this post as im pretty confused.. i keep reading about gel that you paint on like nail polish?? and builder gel?? and also, which gel would you use bonding gel??
So what are all the different gels? i like the idea of painting on three or four thinner layers rather than the one thick layer with the gf21..

I have so many questions as ive been out of the nail scene for quite a while and even when i was doing nails it wasnt for very long so i think ive quite a bit to learn.
I remember everything i learned in the course but we were only taught about that one system..

Any help greatly appreciated! R x

Well today there are many different gels but basically you have your soak off gels and your buff off gels.

Your soak off gels are child's play to apply (like nail polish they are runny) and are very flexible (some are quite rubbery) and not particularly strong and many like them because of those things .. but they are limiting in terms of the clients you can service with them. They are more suitable for natural nail overlay clients who already have strong nails than those who want nail enhancements that are longer and stronger than their own nails. Soak off gels tend to yellow and need frequent replacement or to be covered up with a polish or coloured gel.

Your buff off gels are much stronger than soak off gels and of course you can build strength into them for longer stronger nails; they are not runny and more colour stable. I don't find a down side with buff off gel and I find I can use it like a paint on gel if I want to do that for clients with stronger nails so I have the best of both worlds, IMHO, with the one gel I use which is CND Brisa..

Then within both of these categories you have high end products and middle and low end products. HTH